MTEL and Licensure News

Certification and Educator Licensure Office

New Regulations for Education of English Learners, Educator Licensure and Preparation Programs, and Recertification

New Fingerprinting Requirement

Massachusetts has adopted a new requirement for public and private schools and programs licensed, approved, or funded by the Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and Early Education and Care. In addition to conducting Massachusetts-based criminal background checks (CORI) on interns, student teachers, employees, and others, these schools and programs must also obtain additional criminal background information through fingerprint records. The fingerprint records will be sent to the FBI and Massachusetts state police to check criminal records nation-wide.

Please note that individual school districts and programs are responsible to ensure that all individuals who have the potential for unmonitored contact with children have fingerprinting and background checks. Because the fingerprinting process is being phased in, schools may have different timelines for implementing this requirement for students completing practicum and field placement experiences. As soon as you know where you will be placed for a practicum, internship or field experience, contact the school, center or program for next steps regarding the fingerprinting requirement.

Details about fingerprint locations and scheduling can be found on the MorphoTrust website. If you have questions about the implications of these new requirements on your educational program or career in the field of education, contact Sharyn S. Boornazian, Certification Officer, sboornaz@lesley.edu or 617-349-8496

Important Licensure Requirement

All licensure candidates are required to set up an electronic account
(ELAR) at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education at the start of your program. Once you have done so, let Lesley University
know your MEPID number by using LOIS (Lesley Online Information System). For more information

Sheltered English Immersion Requirement

Effective July 1, 2014, an SEI Endorsement will be required to obtain an Initial License as a core academic teacher, which includes early childhood and elementary teachers, teachers of students with moderate disabilities, teachers of severe disabilities, and teachers of the following academic subjects: English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, civics and government, economics, history, and geography.

New teacher licensure and renewal laws and regulations were approved in Massachusetts as part of a comprehensive redesign of standards and knowledge essential for core academic teachers who provide sheltered English instruction to English language learners. The initiative is called RETELL, Rethinking Equity for Teaching English Language Learners. As part of RETELL, teachers are required to earn a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Teacher Endorsement, a credential that evidences a teacher's training to provide subject matter content instruction in English to a student learning English. Please go to the ESE RETELL website to review the new regulation.

Candidates who have met the requirement for the SEI endorsement must apply through ELAR for the SEI endorsement (no fee), in addition to applying for the Initial license.

Licensure Application Review

To review applications, the DESE Licensure Office needs to have received payment, official transcripts, and notification of passing scores on the MTEL Communication & Literacy Tests. (MTEL scores are automatically received from MTEL vendor.)

Although the Lesley Certification and Educator License Office has
attempted to ensure that the information contained on the website is
accurate and complete at the time of posting, the contents are subject
to change at any time.